Why I Never Drink Green Smoothies & What To Drink Instead

I never drink green smoothies. If you drink green smoothies, it might be time to step away from the kale. Those green smoothies could be causing your hypothyroidism, kidney stones, acne, or migraine headaches. In this post I'll explain why green smoothies are bad for you and explain how to make them the right way.

Disclosure: I include affiliate links in many of my posts. When you order a product through an affiliate link, I get paid a small commission, which helps to support my blog and my work. That said, I only work with companies I trust and only endorse products I have researched and use myself.

Note: There are affiliate links in this post. I get paid a small commission when you buy through my links. This helps me keep blogging. And I only recommend products I personally use and recommend.

Why I Never Drink Green Smoothies & What To Drink Instead

Seems like everyone these days is drinking green smoothies. My Facebook feed is always full of people posting their healthy green smoothie breakfast. They say it helps them lose weight and feel healthier.

Green smoothies made with raw green vegetables are actually not very good for you and I'll explain why below. But read on… I still recommend green smoothies made the right way. I'll tell you the easy, nutritious way to make a green smoothie.

What's Wrong With Green Smoothies?

Green cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale are good for you, but they are not good for you when they are raw. They need to be cooked to release their nutrition. Why? One word: anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients include goitrogens and oxalic acid.

Vegetables like are broccoli and cauliflower are goitrogenic. Goitrogens block absorption of iodine by the thyroid gland. This can cause thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism, weight gain, hair loss, and other hormonal problems.

Raw kale and spinach also contain a lot of oxalic acid, which binds with minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the body. Consuming too much oxalic acid can cause kidney stones and other forms of calcification in the body.

Don't eat any of these foods raw! Oh, sure some raw broccoli every once in a while won't hurt you, or a kale salad on occasion. But it's a very bad idea to consume these foods daily in the form of green smoothies.

Another Problem with Raw Vegetables

Unless you are buying 100% organic, vegetables are sprayed with pesticides. One of the worst pesticides that is commonly sprayed on vegetables is the fluoride-based pesticide, cryolite. Fluoride is known to cause all kinds of health problems, from bone loss to tooth decay to hormonal disorders (it's an endocrine disrupter) to migraine headaches, cellulite and acne.

This is why I now buy all of my produce 100% organic. I used to buy mostly organic, but if it wasn't organic, I didn't stress. Now, unless it's organic, I don't buy it.

To learn more about the dangers of fluoride and how to eliminate it from your diet, check out my new online class launching in May, The Fluoride Detox Diet.

You can also get a free copy of my Fluoride Detox Diet Quick Start Guide with a printable list of what foods to avoid and which foods are OK (you'll be surprised! Toothpaste and tap water are the least of your concerns!).

What I Recommend for Green Smoothies Instead of Raw Vegetables

There are many health benefits of eating fresh green vegetables. If you want to get the benefits of green smoothies without the anti-nutrients, I recommend adding wheatgrass powder to your morning smoothie. Wheatgrass powder gives you all the health benefits of a green smoothie, without the anti-nutrients that cause hormonal problems and kidney stones.

You could also juice your own wheatgrass juice at home. You can even grow your own wheatgrass for pennies…

However, I really don't recommend that, having done it before. It's very time consuming and it's messy. Not only that, but it's very easy for pathogenic bacteria and mold to thrive on wheatgrass trays. If you've ever gotten nauseous from a store-bought wheatgrass shot, this is why. Yuck, right?

This is why I prefer buying wheatgrass powder. It's SIX TIMES cheaper than buying wheatgrass shots — only .67 per serving of wheatgrass powder vs. $4 wheatgrass shots.

And none of the mess and constant clean up from making your own — and you don't have to risk mold and pathogens. Just get the powder!

No, fermenting does not remove the goitrogens. You need to cook the cabbage to remove it.

"In short, consuming large amounts of cruciferous vegetables can damage the thyroid gland. Cooking can reduce the goitrogenic effect of cruciferous veggies. For instance, steaming reduces the goitrogens in cabbage by about two/thirds, and boiling cabbage for 30 minutes reduces the goitrogens by 87% (according to the same article referenced above).

Fermentation does not reduce goitrogens. This means that consuming large amounts of sauerkraut could actually have negative effects on the thyroid. Fermented foods are wonderful in that they provide probiotics and great nutrients, but when it comes to fermented cruciferous vegetables like sauerkraut, moderation is the key. It is best to ensure that fermented cruciferous vegetables are consumed as condiments, not as large components of the diet."

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

My posts may include affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link on one of my posts, I earn a small commission on the sale. I only endorse and promote companies and products I believe in. Thank you for supporting my work.